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Billy Bunny's Animal Songs
Billy Bunny's Animal Songs was released direct-to-video on May 21, 1993. It was the first of the titles in the Muppet Sing-Alongs series. Kevin Clash played the starring role of Billy Bunny, who sings his way through the forest as he runs across a swamp full of frogs, a cave full of rapping bears and a singing porcupine (and even an appearance by one of the ever-present Muppet penguins). Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, and Fran Brill performed various animals of the forest, and Carmen Osbahr is credited in one of her first productions with the Muppets. This special was notable at the time for being the first video release featuring Steve Whitmire performing Kermit. (The Muppet Christmas Carol was released on video later in the year.) It was also the first production filmed after Jim Henson's death in 1990 and was immediately followed by production on The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson. This was also one of the last projects Muppeteer Richard Hunt participated in. The video was released over a year after Hunt's passing. Song List * "Hoppity-Boppity" * "We Are Different" * "Bear Rap" * "The Termite Chew" * "I Have a Secret" * "Please Don't Bump Into Me" * "Frog Talk" * "Swim Away, Horray!" * "Hoppity-Boppity" (reprise) Characters } |- | | Gophers Performers: Jim Martin, David Rudman, Carmen Osbahr, Kathryn Mullen When Billy begins his trip through the forest, he first stops at Gopher Ville, where he meets several gophers who sing about how different they are, despite that they all look the same. |- | | Cecil, Percival, and Edgar Bear Performers: Jerry Nelson, David Rudman, Richard Hunt ;Press release description ;Note :The puppets were originally generic bears who appeared in The Muppets Take Manhattan. |- | | The Termite Performer: David Rudman ;Press release description ;Note :A miniature puppet of the Termite is used in medium shots with Billy, while close-ups have a larger hand puppet on a chroma-keyed background, to allow freer movements with his six rodded hands. |- | | The Porcupine Performer: Fran Brill ;Press release description ;Note :The Porcupine also appeared in The Muppet Christmas Carol, performed by Dave Goelz. |- | | Raccoons Performers: Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson In a darker part of the forest, Billy encounters a pair of raccoons who are so secretive, they conceal what they're doing and even the fact that they're animals. They elaborate on their secret ways in the song, "I Have A Secret". |- | | Frogs Performers: Jim Martin, Joey Mazzarino, Fran Brill, Jerry Nelson, David Rudman, Kathryn Mullen A family of amphibians sing a song about talking in frog. |- | | The Turtle Performer: Jerry Nelson ;Press release description ;Note :The turtle puppet has since been used on Muppets Tonight, in episode 208 as a patient in E-I-E-I-OR, and on Sesame Street, including in the Elmo's World episode "Fast and Slow", acting as the Tortoise to the Hare (the Billy Bunny puppet). |} Credits *'Muppet Performers:' Kevin Clash, Fran Brill, Richard Hunt, Rick Lyon, Jim Martin, Joe Mazzarino, Kathryn Mullen, Jerry Nelson, Carmen Osbahr, David Rudman, Steve Whitmire *'Director:' David Gumpel *'Writers:' Bill Prady, Jim Lewis *'Producers:' Alex Rockwell, Ritamarie Peruggi *'Words and Music:' Dave Kinnoin *'Music Produced by:' Dave Kinnoin, Jimmy Hammer *'Theme Song:' Mark Radice *'Vocal Coach:' Dave Conner *'Puppet Captain:' Kevin Clash *'Muppet Workshop:' Rollin Krewson, Fred Buchholz *'Executive Producer:' Brian Henson __NOWYSIWYG__ Category:Muppet Video Category:Muppet Sing Alongs Category:Camping